Political Quotes

“Mr. President, I see the distinguished Senator from Delaware who has been so helpful on this legislation on the floor, so I yield the floor. Exhibit 1 [From the Washington Post, Feb. 26, 2011] Patenting Innovation More than 60 years have passed since a major overhaul of the U.S. patent system has taken place. And it shows. The U.S. patent system lags woefully. One example: Patents in the United States are given to those ``first to invent.'' This approach is out of step with the rest of the world's ``first to file'' approach and is highly inefficient. It invites people to come out of the woodwork years after a product has been on the market to claim credit and demand royalties. The secretive and lengthy U.S. process also too often results in patents for products that are neither novel nor innovative. It leaves manufacturers vulnerable to infringement lawsuits and damage awards long after their products have gone to market. The Senate is poised to take up a bill on Monday that would eliminate these defects and bring the U.S. system into the 21st century. The Patent Reform Act, introduced by Sens. Patrick J. Leahy (D-Vt.) and Orrin G. Hatch (R-Utah), would recognize the ``first inventor to file'' standard, creating a bright line-- the date on which a patent application was filed--and bringing certainty to the process.…”